Skater&#39;s brace



Jan. 17, 1956 D. D. PADEN 2,731,275

SKATER'S BRACE Filed May 9, 1952 Jigl.

INVENTOR.

DALE D. PADEN United States Patent SKATERS BRACE Dale D. Paden, Omaha, Nebr.

Application May 9, 1952, Serial No. 286,989

1 Claim. (Cl. 280-1136) This invention relates to ankle supports of the type adapted to prevent ankles twisting in ice skating, and in particular to springs attached to heel plates of skates and to bands extended around the lower parts of legs whereby the ankles are reinforced without interfering with skating of the wearer of the device.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for supporting the ankles of a skater to prevent twisting of the ankles until the muscles of the skater have developed suflicient strength to hold the ankles upright.

At the beginning of the skating season and particularly with persons learning to skate it seems very difficult to hold the ankles stiff and as a result the skates tilt outwardly. Various types of devices have been provided for reinforcing the ankles, however, the average device for this use does not permit absolute freedom in skating, and for this reason such devices are very seldom used.

With this thought in mind this invention contemplates an ankle support comprising a comparatively stiff coil spring with the upper end of the spring slidably held in a sleeve in a socket on a band positioned around the lower part of a leg, and with the lower end extended at a right angle and pivotally mounted in cars depending from the heel plate of a skate attached to a shoe on a foot of the leg upon which the said band is positioned.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for attaching a supporting element to the leg and skate of a skater to prevent the ankle of the skater turning.

Another object of the invention is to provide braces for the ankles of a skater which permit bending of the ankles forwardly and rearwardly and restrict lateral bending.

Another particular object of the invention is to provide resilient supporting elements for the ankles of a skater without interfering with freedom of movement of the feet in skating.

A further object of the invention is to provide ankle supporting devices for ice skaters in which the devices may readily be attached to conventional skates without changing the design or structure of the skates.

A still further object of the invention is to provide resilient reinforcing attachments for protecting ankles of ice skaters in which the attachments are of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies resilient supporting elements positioned on the outsides of the ankles of a skater and connected, at one of the ends thereof, to the skates and at the other of the ends thereof to the legs of the skater at points positioned above the ankles.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating the position of the improved ankle supporting device in use and showing the upper end attached by a band to the lower part of a leg and the lower end attached to a skate on the foot of the leg.

2,731,275 Patented Jan. 17, 1956 Figure 2 is a rear elevational view showing a shoe with a skate on the sole thereof and showing the ankle sup porting device of this invention mounted on the heel plate of the skate.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the ankle supporting device with the shoe and skate omitted.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved ankle support of this invention includes a spring 10, a mount ing plate 12 having ears 14 and 16 in which a lower end 18 of an L-shaped rod in a vertical leg of which the spring 10 is positioned is pivotally mounted, and a band 20 having a sleeve 22 secured thereto by a clamp or socket 24 and in which the upper end of the spring rod is slidably mounted.

The spring 10 is preferably formed with a rod having a coil in the intermediate part and a straight upper end 26 which is slidably held in the sleeve 22 extends from the upper end of the coil. The sleeve is secured to the band 20 with the substantially U-shaped section forming the clamp 24. The section 24 is provided with flanges 28 and 30 and the flanges are secured to the bend with rivets 32 and 34. One end of the band or strap 20 is provided with a buckle 36 and the opposite end, as indicated by the numeral 38, is adjustably held in the buckle whereby adjustment in the size of the band is provided. The band may be formed of spring steel, leather, or other suitable material.

The lower end of the spring is provided with a short straight section 40 from the lower end of which the end 18 extends, at a right angle and as shown in Figure 3, the end 18 is pivotally mounted in the cars 14 and 16, as described. The section of the end 18 that is positioned in the ear 16 is provided with openings 42 and 44 in which holding elements, such as cotter pins 46 and 48 are positioned, whereby the lower end of the spring is secured in the mounting plate 12.

The mounting plate 12 is secured to a heel plate 50 of a skate 52 by welding, or other suitable means, and the skate is secured to a shoe 54 by conventional means.

With the parts formed and assembled as shown and described a shoe with the device thereon is positioned on the foot of a skater and the band or strap 20 secured around the lower part of the leg above the ankle, and with the lower end 18 pivotally held the ankle is free to flex or bend forwardly and rearwardly and also laterally, however, with the ankle reinforced with the spring lateral bending is restricted and the abrupt tilting or falling over which is particularly common in beginners, is substantially eliminated.

It will be understood that the spring may be attached to the leg and also to the skate by other suitable means.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a skaters brace constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly Well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

What is claimed is:

An ankle support for use with ice skates comprising a mounting plate adapted to be secured in a transversely disposed position to the under surface of a heel plate of a skate, the ends of said mounting plate being extended downwardly providing ears and said ears having openings therethrough, the opening of one ear being aligned with the opening of the other, an L-shaped rod having a horizontally disposed lower end pivotally mounted. insaid ears and a vertically disposed section in which References Cited in the file of this patent a ooilspring is provided extended from one end of the UNITED STATES PATENTS said lower end, a strap having a socket thereon adapted to be positioned around the leg of an individual with 323,700 Macqmber 4, 1385 the. socket ralig'ned with'the vettieally disposedsectignrof 5 584,731 'n'wjblay June 1397 the .L 'shaped rod carried by a mounting; platesoni al heel 787,225 Scnven 11, 1905 plate of1askate on a shoe on the foot ofit-he: legand 1,638,285 Brooks 1927 a sleeve 1161C; the socket of the strap and-imwhich the FOREIGN PATEN upper end-o evertically disposed sectionof' the rod is S ably held whereby lateral bending; of the leg. "is ne- 10 ggg gz g g g:

strictcd with the restricting meansslidable inrelation to the leg. 

